The archbishop of Canterbury, spiritual head of 77 million Anglicans worldwide, has not invited two wayward bishops to a major conference next year, a move likely to stir controversy in the deeply divided communion.<\/p>\n
Archbishop Rowan Williams has sent invitations to more than 800 Anglican bishops asking them to attend the Lambeth Conference in London in July and August 2008, but has not invited two American bishops — Gene Robinson and Martyn Minns.<\/p>\n
Robinson has caused division since he was consecrated as bishop of New Hampshire in 2003, becoming the Anglican Church’s first openly gay bishop.<\/p>\n
Minns, a deeply conservative Episcopalian, was installed last year as the head of a new Nigerian-based church branch in the United States designed as a refuge for orthodox believers. The Anglican Communion does not recognize his position.<\/p>\n
“I have to reserve the right to withhold or withdraw invitations from bishops whose appointment, actions or manner of life have caused exceptionally serious division or scandal within the Communion,” Williams wrote in his invitations, which were sent out on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
It is inaccurate to describe Martyn Minns as “deeply” conservative for the record, and note that there is no similar adjective for Gene Robinson. Read it all<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The archbishop of Canterbury, spiritual head of 77 million Anglicans worldwide, has not invited two wayward bishops to a major conference next year, a move likely to stir controversy in the deeply divided communion. Archbishop Rowan Williams has sent invitations…<\/span><\/p>\n